Evan moved another space closer to Dave. "A mischievous imp promises great wealth to any who can beat him at a contest of riddles. If your Wits and a die scores at least a 10, gain 3 gold. Fail, and you must promise him your firstborn child... risky I guess, but I'm not really planning to have any kids before the game is over, so... let's try." Rolling the dice, he hit a 10 exactly, taking his gold.
Frank surveyed his options. "A strange witch captures you, hoping to sweeten her brew with your blood. If your Wits and a die total up to a 6, you can trick her into letting you free. Score a 12 and you can steal a taste of her magic brew, increasing your might by 2... and I guess if I'm using the dust, I need to do that up front, huh?" Frank opened the bag to inspect the contents. "OK, I guess I'll try a couple here, see if there's any side effects." Sprinkling the dust over his head, Frank winced, waiting for some unexpected change. When none came, he shrugged, saying "Well then, might as well go all out..." 7 more pinches of dust, and he still felt nothing. Amusingly enough, when he finally hefted the die, it came up 6.
Frank vanished back into his sleeve as Alex took his turn.
Alex didn't like either of his options, but one seemed slightly safer. "A dryad accuses you of harming her plants to make your wares. If your Charm and a die total an 8, you convince her otherwise, and she will grant you a charm preventing you from suffering physical harm in the forest. Lose, and she will turn you into a tree." Alex took one of the potions he'd been granted. "Well, this might give me a bit of an edge..." Drinking the potion, Alex felt a bit dizzy. Suddenly, the years and pounds melted away, his beard evaporated into thin air, and his ears became pointed. Even his character card changed, now showing him to be "The Handsome Elf" which added 2 to any roll involving "fae creatures" and significantly enhanced his Charm, making the roll an easy success, and earning an appreciative whistle from Carmen.
Suddenly, an even higher pitched voice came from within Frank's sleeve. "God damn it! It was a delayed effect!" While he refused to come out and explain further, a quick glance showed his card had change. "The Reluctant Pixie" granted the ability to move one or two spaces each turn, rather than his previous ability to flee. Dave meanwhile had been squirming in his seat as he watched Alex change, and now abruptly stood up, rushing for the stairs. "I'll be back for my turn but... I just need to run to the bathroom," he said, in a cracking voice.
Ben moved back to the space he'd originally started on. "The bard's carriage- Excuse yourself for the next two rounds and do what you will with the nearest vehicle. When you return, you may move to any space on the track." Shrugging, he stood up. "Well, as long as I'm leaving, maybe I'll order us a pizza or something. Looks like we'll be here a while."
Carmen pushed her piece along to Ben's. "Follow your rescuer for a quick romantic getaway... you know, I'll be right back too." Carmen raced up the stairs after Ben, a wicked grin on her face.
Charley moved into the forest. "Your might and a die must total 8 to slay the beast. Fail and feel its venom, missing your next turn." Rolling a 1, he winced. "Wait, I can challenge it and basically get a reroll, right?" Again the die came up low. "So... enhancing the penalty means what? I miss two t- OW!" Charley began rubbing his ankle before suddenly passing out, his face an ashen grey. The others remaining at the table looked on, stunned.
Evan leaned over to examine the space. "Looks like whoever lands there next can make an antidote, if they finish the beast off. Frank, you're only a few spaces away, you should be able to rush over and get him back before Ben and Carmen return... still."
A few minutes passed before Dave came back down the stairs, now undeniably a woman, with visible tear stains on her face. "Damn it Evan! If you hadn't just snatched up those dice... wait, what happened?"
"Bad rolls for Charley and a break for the others," Evan said, ever pragmatic. "Being a woman's not so bad next to being comatose. You might as well ride it out another round, since it can't get any worse, right? I'll handle the roll for you again if you like, since... well, you don't have a bonus on these checks anymore it seems."